The use of optical signals, i.e. signals in whole or in part within the optical electromagnetic spectrum, continues to grow due to the increased bandwidth and flexibility such signals offer over traditional electrical signals. As optical signals increase their penetration and market share in communications applications formerly dominated by electrical signal transmission, the ability to transmit wide bandwidth optical signals in becomes critical to meeting the demands placed upon modern optics-based communication systems. While hollow-metal waveguides (HMWG) offer benefits for transmitting optical signals over short distances, their construction, application, and installation must often meet demanding requirements to ensure the integrity of the data transmitted along the waveguide.